a Honolulu blog

When I was in high school, I went to every football game. I was lucky — that was a time when Waianae High School was THE team to beat in the OIA (Oahu Interscholastic Association). I know I’m dating myself a little with this, but that’s okay. It was fun and some of us took it very seriously. I remember one Homecoming game when Waianae played Pearl City. Pearl City almost won. I never screamed so loud in all my life. We won. I’m sure my volume must have helped carry that extra point over that goal post!

I went straight to the University of Hawaii after graduation to continue my education, but sports weren’t part of the agenda anymore. For me, with the exception of having my ear set to news about Jason Elam, I’ve lost touch with the sports at my old educational institutions… UNTIL NOW!

This year, all of the media hype and the need to keep up with reader interest got me watching again. It felt like old times… sort of. I could watch “my” team on TV, and get excited for them and mad at the refs (and ESPN sportscasters)… you know, all the good stuff! I even found myself holding my breath while watching recorded games for the second time. This Warrior team has done something for me that no other team has ever done… they’ve actually made re-runs something good to watch!

Guess what?!? Somehow… my husband got his hands on a pair of tickets! On the 50-yard line! For the game with the Senior Walk! OMG! Okay, on the wrong side of the field, but who cares?!? I was there! I saw them up close and personal. I got to scream my head off again, just like I used to! They’re so awesome, they didn’t need any help from my vocals! They got some, but, as it turned out, they didn’t need it!

… SCREECH!

The Warriors, however, did not get as much from my vocals asI wanted them to. Our seats were great, but they were too great. We were too close and the Washington players and the ESPN film truck made us have to stand up to see. That would have been fine except for the pregnant woman behind us who asked us to sit down because she was pregnant and couldn’t stand up.

We couldn’t see and we couldn’t see the replay screen either because everyone else was standing up… because they couldn’t see! We finally gave up and left. We went home.

All was not lost, they came from being behind by three touchdowns to taking us down to the last seconds of the game. With only 44 seconds left in the game I was still screaming at the TV, “No, no, no!” I ended up screaming in my living room. It would have been slightly better at Vineyard Zippy’s where at least someone would have gotten the benefit of my screaming… but, we stayed at home.

Overpriced tickets, taxi fare, because the parking was full three hours before kick off, and we watched the game from home. Auwe! (Hawaiian for “Oh my!” or “Oh dear!” or “Alas!”) Auwe to Aloha Stadium for not making arrangements for people in those seats, and auwe to ESPN for not figuring out a better way to get their footage without hampering the ability of spectators to enjoy the game that they paid so dearly to see. The only thing in their favor was that they were not on the side of the home team. There was a little girl behind me who was heart broken and screaming even more than I was.

Of course all of this whining turns this post (one that I was so looking forward to writing) into a “Honolulu Rant” and it has been tagged as such.

Okay, aside from the idiotic stadium gaffes and a double auwe for ESPN whose time was too precious to keep filming long enough for us to see the Senior Walk, the game was exciting, tense and one heck of a game! I now get to lean on our local media darlings to please, please have the Senior Walk on tape so we will be able to see it! KGMB’s news room says they will show clips of it on the June Jones show tomorrow (Sunday) and on their news at 5 and 10:00 tomorrow evening.

I was so looking forward to that part of tonight’s festivities but it was not to be for us, not this time. But, that’s okay… my alma mater won! They should be receiving an invitation to a BCS bowl game. The announcement about the BCS bowl game will be made tomorrow at 3:00 at the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.

As I’m typing this I can hear people who also must have been watching the game at home… they are setting off fireworks! Honolulu is one very happy place right now! We’re all so proud of these young men and the University so needed a generous addition to their income stream!

After All That, Sharing This Next Tidbit is Even More Gratifying!

Another thing I’ve grown to love is the personality of the Leahey and Leahey show! Jim and Kanoa Leahey are, together or apart, a lot of fun and I think they make a cute father and son team. Jim Leahey was on my wave length the other night with his “poem” at the end of their show on PBS last Wednesday and he called it a bachi poem (bachi is a Japanese word and is used kind of as a slang in this context to mean something similar to “what goes around, comes around”). He read his “Bachi Poem” where he said snickered,

It’s eleven down and one to go
Then it’s just lining up for the big show
The school receiving millions in spendable dough
While National attention continues to grow
Brennan is magic with every long throw
BCS pundits are dining on crow
Receivers remain cat quick, never slow
The defense has grown stalwart as we all know
So bring on the Huskies and any sled they tow
Let the rains come and the winds blow
Let the game have its usual ebb and flow
Chances are good, in the end, Hawaii is 12 and O.

Ha! Now I can laugh even harder! Congratulations to you, UH Warriors, and a huge mahalo to all of you for a very exciting and terrifying game! We have to thank the Washington Huskies as well for being a formidable opponent — it was they who made it terrifying!

The biggest mahalo is for our Warrior team, Coach June Jones included, for their shining example of teamwork and fraternal cohesion! I’m still touched and amazed at the degree of limelight sharing that goes on over there. I don’t know if I’m more proud of their winning record or their comradeship manner of accomplishing their wonderful season that is, “in the end, 12 and O!”

Checking back on this one! It’s 3:20 on Sunday afternoon and the announcement has just been made. The Warriors are going, baby! They are going to a BCS bowl game! Woo hoo! The University of Hawaii Warriors are going to New Orleans to play the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2008. What a great way to start the New Year!

Neenz, you are so right! The University of Hawaii is the State’s responsibility but it’s the private sector that has been paying a lot of their bills. The charitable organizations and the scholastic-minded segment of our community has been doing a lot to support the University, including the Athletic Department.

Some degree of gratitude is certainly due to them from the University!

This team, now that I’m done whining about the stadium conditions for us last night, has done so much for all of us. Their cohesiveness has rubbed off on us a little, I hope, and we needed a little something like that!

It is a great time for the State of Hawaii and I’m so happy for the Warrior football team. It really couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of guys – especially Colt. I was really hoping you’d have pictures from the senior walk though. ESPN cut away and I didn’t get to see it, I really wanted to 🙁 We find out at 3 today where they will be going. Woo Hoo!!!!

Hi Flo! You and me both! I was already crushed that we had to leave to see any of the game at all, but the Senior Walk was what crushed me the worst. If I had bought leis like I thought about doing… grrrr!!! I wouldn’t be talking, I’d be sulking!

In addition to what KGMB told me last night, KHON’s John Veneri and Kanoa Leahey will be having some BCS coverage at around 3 or 3:30 this afternoon! Must tape this stuff! Trying to figure out how to be there… hmmm…!

Hi Evelyn,
I just finished posting my, “Life is Sweet–UH Warriors in the Sugar Bowl “post! I read the Heisman trophy award is given in 4 days–Colt Brennan better win it or they will have a lot of irate Hawaii fans!!

Good morning, HVG! They better at least invite him. It was bad enough last year but to drop the ball like that this year would be nothing less than a travesty! Okay, let’s not get irate until we have reason. 🙂